Displaying items by tag: Ed Harris

MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE

US, 2024, 103 minutes, Colour.

Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Gloria Reubin, Utkarsh Ambudjar.

Directed by Kyle Haussmann-Stokes.

The American involvement in Afghanistan has produced many significant films this one being produced after the withdrawal of America under the Biden administration.

While the focus is Afghanistan and sequences there, it is very much a film about PTSD and consequences from any war. There are action sequences, deaths. But there are also strong friendships.

The central character is Merit, who bonded with Zoe during their time in Afghanistan. When she returns home, experiencing some disturbance after her war experiences, she goes to a therapist. Various techniques, including the empty chair and Merit talking to Zoe.

However, Zoe is ever present to Merit, sharing everything, Merit’s relationship with her mother, and, especially, with her grandfather, another strong performance by Ed Harris, who lives alone, eccentric, his own war service, and the family wanting to move him to an aged care home.

But, while there is great companionship between Merit and Zoe, Zoe was killed in Afghanistan and Merit has to let her go, finding a friend at the aged care home, working with a therapist, her reactions to her mother, and the influence of her grandfather.

The film is based on the experiences of the director who served five years as a paratrooper in Afghanistan.

1. A film about war, PTSD, relationships, grief?
2. 2016, service in Afghanistan, the Afghan sequences, war action, camaraderie, friendships, deaths? The aftermath, the return home, PTSD, settling, family relationships and responsibilities, therapy?
3. The title, that Zoe was dead not immediately revealed? The focus on Merit, age and experience, the war, Afghanistan, the friendship with Zoe, not coping, her mother, her grandfather, his war experience, his home by the lake, the boat, his daughter wanting him to go a to home? His tantrums about the garbage bins? The impact on Merit, seeking help?
4. Merit and Zoe in Afghanistan, the happy times, sharing?
5. The therapy sequence, the present, commenting, Merit’s response, the empty chair?
6. Audience liking the comedy and drama and the feeling of the sequences with Merit and Zoe, in ordinary life, the visit to the cemetery, on the grandfather’s boat…? Zoe as a character, full of life? Her being an alter ego for Merit’s interior life, enabling her to accept her life?
7. The therapy sessions, the range of veterans, their issues, the possibility for voicing them, sharing, mutual help? The role of the supervisor, his empathy? Also severity, making demands on Merit?
8. The grandfather, military, service, success, old-age, dementia onset, his daughter and her concern, the home, Merit and her help?
9. Merit, the home for the aged, her encounter with Alex, his personality, his work, and together, the video games, sharing?
10. The buildup to the finale, Merit and the future, her life, letting Zoe go, standing on her own feet – and the final revelation, Zoe, in Afghanistan, the friendship, the experience of her death?
11. And the final plea and information for veterans, therapy, PTSD?

HOW TO MAKE A KILLING

US, 2026, 105 minutes, Colour.

Glen Powell, Margaret Qualey, Jessica Henwick, Bill Camp, Ed Harris, Topher Grace, Zach Wood, Andrew Lukis.

Directed by John Patton Ford.

Quite a slick 21^st century American entertainment, the world of wealth, loss of wealth, ambitions, amoral, turning immoral, murder – murders.

And  a generally glossy affluent setting, some moderate hardships in New Jersey, the affluent world of New York. And, leading the cast is popular Glen Powell, several starring roles each years since his break out in Maverick, along with Margaret Qualley, an even more frequent screen presence in recent years.

This is a murder drama, a touch of the serious, a touch of the satiric, not intending to be a film for thoughtful reflection on ethical and moral issues – though, there is quite an unexpected twists towards the end which certainly gets the central character thinking.

In the final credits, there is an acknowledgement that this film was inspired by the 1949 British film, Kind Hearts and Coronets, and the novel on which was based. This was a film, certainly, from another era, effective serious/satiric British filmmaking, and the famous tour-de-force performance by Alec Guinness playing all those to be murdered by the ambitious central character.

The origins of How to make a Killing may be of little interest to the 21^st-century audience. However, those who remember and appreciated the original have the advantage of knowing what is going to happen. But, they will have the regrets that while there are victims here to be killed, they are played by a varied including Bill Camp, Topher Grace and, ultimately, Ed Harris.

So, the audience is invited to have sympathy for Glen Powell’s ability to bring grinning charm despite his ordinary upbringing even though he discovers he is heir to millions. He is Beckett Redfellow, his pregnant mother disowned by her wealthy father, having to go to work, and Beckett finishing up in a clothing store.

As a boy, he fell for the charms of the rather dominating Julia who grows up to be the dominating Margarette Qualey, false charms, ready to twist any man around her little finger. And she does.

The screenplay, remembering the original, has the whole story told in flashback, Beckett on death row, execution imminent, and the prison chaplain, a serious priest, asking the question and spending the whole film listening to Beckett’s interesting story and his murderous quest for his fortune – including quite the finale and the deathly confrontation with his grandfather.

The unexpected twist towards the end leads the story in a somewhat different direction.

An easy night out kind of entertainment.

1. The 21^st century American entertainment, ambiguous hero, romantic entanglements, ambition and greed, murders, the law?
2. The credit with the note about Kind Hearts and Coronets, 1949, inspiring this film?
3. Beckett Redfellow, his story, in death row, execution close, the arrival of the priest, prison chaplain, Beckett telling his story, the priest listening, his interventions, encouraging? The execution time, the prayer?
4. The flashbacks to the past, Mary, wealthy family, her dominating father, the attraction, the date, her pregnancy, the birth sequence, the father collapsing and dying? Her father confronting her, denunciation, cutting her off? Bringing up her baby, encouraging him, her hard work, Beckett as an adult, his life, prospects?
5. Explaining the issue of money, the family, the family tree, those between him and the fortune?
6. His mundane life, accommodation, his job, the clothing store, Julia arriving, the flashbacks to the flirtation in the past, her being dominating, his response? In the store, memories, announcing her engagement? His having to give up his job because of the owner and replacement? Going to the warehouse, working there, the beginning of his plan? The encounter with his uncle, sympathetic, giving him the job, privileges?
7. The first victim, playboy, extravagant, wild scenes, on the yacht, Beckett present, the plan, the rope, the anchor, his death?
8. The final sequence – and the repetition for each of the victims?
9. Noah, music and art, the gallery, the encounter with Beckett, the discussions, friendship, revelations, Noah and his death?
10. The FBI, the couple, the interrogations?
11. Stephen, money, swindles, religion, his following, his speeches, Beckett pretending to interview him, the boastful interview, the sword, the revelation, Stephen’s many enemies, the contrivance of his death?
12. The aunt, the adoptions, her charity, her personality, her teeth, the whitening, her death?
13. Julia, her continued appearances, dominating, charm and ruthlessness, her husband, his inefficiency, wealth, losing, her asking for the loan, the various visits to Beckett, seductive and tantalising, the ultimatum? The timing, blackmail, Beckett hurrying to the office, the encounter with Lyle, the confrontation, collapse, the FBI, the accusation, the evidence, the murder?
14. Ruth, her relationship with Noah, about to break it, the attraction to Beckett, him to her, her life, working in the garment industry, the outings with Beckett, his falling in love with her, the time together, the proposal, the plan for the engagement, the party, and their fashionable apartment?
15. Beckett, prospering, arrogant, wealth, lifestyle, the meetings of the wealthy board, his uncle, his uncle’s collapse and death?
16. His grandfather, personality, in the shadows, emerging, inviting Beckett to dinner, his dilemma about his engagement party, his arrival, the vast mansion, the meal, the discussions, the grandfather and his rifle, eating attacking his grandson, Beckett and his defence, firing the arrows, the death of his grandfather? His hurrying back to the party? Ruth and her waiting, her decision to walk out on Beckett?
17. The arrest, the irony of his being arrested for a murder he did not commit? Interrogation, the evidence, the trial, being found guilty? Julia, her testimony, talking of Beckett always loving her? Julia with the incriminating photos?
18. His finishing his narration for the priest, going to execution, the stay, Julia and her letter assisting him, her visit to the prison, the breakup, his desperation? Her deal, his signing away all his wealth to her?
19. The finale, the priest in the bar contemplating what he had heard, Beckett released, Ruth, meeting him, giving him the hair token of his mother which he often looked at, motivation, her driving away? Julia in the parking lot – and future, Beckett subservient to her?

LOVE LIES BLEEDING

US, 2024, 104 minutes, Colour.

Kristin Stewart, Katie O'Brien, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco.

Directed by Rose Glass.

In fact, quite an amount of hate, hateful characters, also lie bleeding.

The comment by critic, Sandra Hall, suggested that this film was a Thelma and Louise on steroids. But, it’s not just an image, there is quite an amount of actual steroid Ealing and taking. The film opens at a gym, men and women, muscles bulging, sweaty, exercising. The gym is managed by Lou (Kristin Stewart, Twilight days long past), tough, initially seen cleaning a dirty toilet, stalked by a fellow worker, but taken aback when she sees Jack (Katie O’Brien, martial arts instructor and actress) come in to work out.

The love of the title is the relationship between U and Jack, often intense, but immediately complicated. Who is alienated from her gangster father, an eerie and wrinkled Ed Harris, devoted to her sister Beth (Jena Malone) who is married to an extremely smug and dislikeable JJ (Dave Franco). JJ is doubletiming his wife, including with Jack, is violent towards Beth, hospitalising her. Lou is angry but Jack is even angrier with the result that JJ, his face brutally disfigured, lies bleeding.

And, so, this film becomes something of a gritty thriller, especially with the women deciding to get rid of the body in a vast pit, where Sue many other bodies are buried, hoping to implicate Lou’s father.

Jake has also had an ambition, to enter a body building competition in Las Vegas and, with all the complications and tensions with Lou, she hitchhikes there and enters the event, only to fail, experiences a repulsive hallucination which is dramatised for the benefit of the audience, humiliated.

While the setting is Nevada, the film was shot in New Mexico and, one wonders why, the year is 1989 and there are direct references to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the migration to West Berlin and freedom.

A number of responders to Love Lies Bleeding is to see it as a film noir, better, a neo-noir. A brief definition of film noir states a style or genre of cinematographic film marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace.. Black-and-white style was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s, especially in Hollywood. While this film is in colour, it is often in very dark colour, widescreen but the directors instantly using close-ups, especially faces, the screen sometimes turning red, which means that the director, Rose Glass (the horror film, St Maud) creates quite a menacing atmosphere.

Some audiences in the past found film noir too grim. And, despite the colour here, many audiences will find the narrative, the characters, the steroid atmosphere, the brutal interactions, too grim.

1. The title? The love? Characters bleeding? Deaths? Physical? Emotional?
2. The 1989 setting, references to the Berlin wall and freedom? The small American town, the gym, the gangster and his mansion, apartments, hospital, the streets, the precipice of the dump? Atmosphere? The musical score?
3. Lou’s story, age, background, sexual orientation, Daisy stalking her, her father and alienation, the disappearance of her mother, managing the gym, dealing the steroids, relationship with Beth, dislikeable JJ? Attracted to Jackie, intensity, Jackie talking, smoking (all the anti-smoking talk, yet the end), offering the steroids, the results, the sexual attraction, encounters, going home with Lou? The meal with Beth and JJ, as violent behaviour, later hospitalising Beth? Lou’s reaction, Jackie’s reaction? Jackie brutally killing JJ, Lou’s reaction, getting rid of the body, the carpet, the drive, Daisy seeing them on the road, a later use of this information, the car over the cliff, igniting it, the smoke? Lou and her meticulous cleaning of the house, her father’s arrival, knowing what had happened?
4. Jackie, ousted from home, on the road, bodybuilding, the ambitions for the competition, the sexual encounter with JJ, getting the job, the interview with Lou’s father, the smoke break and her encountering him, meeting Lou, the steroids, the exercise, the relationship, intense? Her angry reaction to JJ, killing him? Getting rid of the body? Lou wanting her to keep quiet, locking the door, Jackie getting out, going to the gym? The clash with Lou? Jackie hitchhiking, Las Vegas, entering the competition, the other women, the parade, the judges, her performance, going well, her being overcome, the hallucination, too many drugs, her being sick, imagining vomiting Lou? The humiliation? The return, Lou’s father and his control, giving her the gun, the jealousy about Daisy and the phone calls to Lou, shooting Daisy? Captured by the thugs, bound, Lou finding her, freeing her, her pulling the gun on Lou?
5. Lou’s father, gangster, the murders, memories of his wife, her death? The police in his pay? Confronting Lou, confronting Jackie? Lou and the gun, her father’s injuries, the gun in his mouth, not killing him, her informing the police, his arrest?
6. Daisy, at the gym, infatuated with Lou, jealous, seeing the cars on the road, confronting Lou, staying the night, the breakfast, the threats, Lou talking head down? Jackie shooting her? The finale with the body, dead or alive, Lou burying her in the desert?
7. The style of the film, neo-noir, the use of close-ups, faces, widescreen? Atmosphere? The colour shades, screen red? The room, sometimes ironic, touches of horror?